CCTV Instrumental in Cash Machine Explosion Arrest, says AlertSystems

The recordings show the two men pumping the cash machines with gas

The reaction comes following a report from the BBC detailing the arrest of two men who blew up cash machines at two separate banks in South Wales and managed to steal huge quantities of cash as a result.

Russell Bennett and Brian Barrett, both from Bristol, have been jailed by authorities at Cardiff Crown Court following their apprehension. They have been charged with conspiring to cause an explosion likely to endanger life and burglary following their crimes at one bank in Pontypridd and another in Bridgend.

The crime has been called “astounding” and “the first of its kind in Wales” by local police services, who were able to identify the pair on the bank’s CCTV camera footage. The recordings show the two men pumping the cash machines with gas and then taking shelter round a corner in order to trigger the large explosion. It is estimated that the pair were able to steal around £80,000, as well as causing over £100,000 in combined damages to both sites.

A spokesperson for AlertSystems, market leaders in commercial CCTV security implementations, has released a statement following the report. “Criminal acts of this magnitude, that not only cause serious damage to property but also have the potential to put lives at risk, must be dealt with swiftly in order to deter any future offenders from attempting to repeat the feat.

“Fortunately, both banks’ CCTV security systems were able to provide officers with a clear idea of who the culprits were and then were able to act accordingly. Incidents such as these highlight the importance of high-quality CCTV, especially for buildings that are housing large amounts of money or valuable items.

“For any business owners that are currently without the sufficient security protection that their property requires, we urge them to act quickly in order to reduce their exposure to potentially damaging crimes.”

AlertSystems manage and maintain thousands of commercial security installations throughout the UK and are specialists in providing business security solutions. Offering professional service and a complete range of security services such as monitored alarm systems, Automatic Number Plate Recognition and Avigilon CCTV security systems, AlertSystems provides effective and reliable solutions to security problems.